Unity
by CerberAsta
Summary: The worlds were once one whole entity, with a ruling capital. Now, someone seeks to reunite them and raise that capital, in order to rule it all. However, a certain Keybearer stands in his way...
1. Opening Note

**Chapter One**

* * *

_**So, this is a new Kingdom Hearts story for me... No, I'm not particularly happy about it. I had a different story that served the same purpose, but the first five chapters sucked, the plot was getting out of control, etc. Just goes to show: PLAN THINGS OUT IN ADVANCE UNLESS YOU'RE ROLEPLAYING WITH PEOPLE.**_

_**So, now I'm writing a new story with similar plot elements to the other one, but with a vastly different plot. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back to "Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall" one day and finish it , but it's not gonna' happen anytime soon. Anyways! It's time to get on with this thing...**_

_**KH-KH will indicate scene breaks.**_

* * *

_**KH-KH**_

The figure rushed through the dark night, looking at the Arabian architecture. He obviously had either a job to do, or an intense desire to run. Given the ninja-like movements and his compulsion to hide whenever a citizen or guard walked by, the choice was obvious.

He was a pitch-black figure, yet he was obviously not a Heartless. For one thing, there was only one Heartless with a completely human form, and he retained the color of his skin. For another, he didn't posses the lamp-like eyes of Heartless, an atypical trait. Heartless didn't wear clothing, and he did, which consisted of an enveloping cape and some kind of black pants. In addition, it's not likely that Heartless could sweat, which is what this person, unused to the heat of Agrabah, was doing.

He kept running through the streets, then suddenly bent his knees, and leaped. He cleared one building, and his cape shifted. It was apparent that it was truly energy, which formed into... wings. With the wings and a glow about him, indicating magic-usage, he flew towards the palace.

_**KH-KH**_

The figure's wings formed back into a cape just as he dropped down onto the balcony outside Jasmine's room. The princess was a light-sleeper, so she looked up.

"Aladdin? Is that you?" she asked, groggily.

"Afraid not, princess."

The figure slipped through the gossamer quickly, and Jasmine got a bit more alert, though it was too late. The dark figure swooped down upon the princess and in a whirl of black feathers and a strange type of energy both were gone.

_**KH-KH**_

"Off with his head!"

The Queen of Hearts was at it again. Raging about on her throne, she had picked the Cheshire Cat to take out her rage upon. False threats were thrown about from her in an attempt to frighten him into submission, so that he would leave her croquet game alone. Of course, the Cheshire Cat was simply amused, and so he had disappeared, all but his head. This, of course, meant that the executioner could do nothing, since his head was already separated from his body, apparently.

"Pseudo Queen, with pseudo-rages, and pseudo-executions... Why, I doubt even the rare Rithengov, whose entire existence is a farce, is quite as fake as you," the Cheshire Cat mocked.

"Must you really be so mean to the Queen?" Alice asked.

"Being mean now just means that she'll be tougher later on, as the comments won't sting so bad," the Cheshire Cat cackled.

"Well, that just sounds like an excuse," Alice said.

"That's because it is, trust me. I've used it fairly often myself," a man said.

Alice whirled around to see the man up close. He was a burly figure, lion-like with his shaggy brown mane of hair and yellow eyes. He was covered with various gadgets, and had a vest and jeans that were filled with pockets that obviously contained more objects. He pulled out a small rod then touched Alice with it, before she could react. She was covered in a crystallized prison that quite obviously allowed no room for movement.

"Well, this was fun and all, and I got a small workout from your guards, but I have to head out now," the man said.

"SEIZE HIM!" the Queen roared.

The man pulled out a small cube that had a button. Upon pressing the button, he and Alice disappeared. The guards all crashed amongst themselves.

"False seizures, too. Whatever is next? Maybe a false law?" The Cheshire Cat mocked.

The Queen boiled with rage, as the Cat laughed, disappearing.

_**KH-KH**_

Belle looked out of the balcony, singing sweetly to no one in particular. Birds flitted about, and sang along with her. There was a whooshing sound, and Belle turned around to see a small dark cloud forming itself in her room.

"What?" Belle asked.

It became a figure that had bandages all over his legs and arms. He was decked out in a black tunic with a pumpkin emblem emblazoned in the center. He wore black boots with orange trim, and gauntlets of a similar color scheme.

"Who are you?" Belle asked.

The stranger said nothing in the least as he walked closer to her.

"Get away!" Belle screamed, "PRINCE! PLEASE HELP ME!"

The Prince formerly known as Beast opened the door.

"Belle!" he shouted.

He leaped towards the stranger, who side-stepped him, then tapped the emblem on his chest. An eerie singing erupted.

_In this town, we call home..._

_Everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song!_

The scythe appeared in his hand at the words "Pumpkin Song". He used it to trip the Prince, then he became a foggy cloud of Darkness that whirled about. It consumed Belle for several moments, then both disappeared.

_**KH-KH**_

Leon and Aerith had been in meeting room far before anyone else. Aerith had gotten the call, and Leon was always in the training room early in the morning, and the training room was across from the meeting room. Tifa arrived next, followed by Barret, and old friend who had recently reappeared, then Cid, and finally Yuffie.

"So, what's up, Squall?" Yuffie asked.

"Leon. Apparently, three Princesses of Heart were kidnapped last night," Leon said, his correction automatic.

"Well, we know it wasn't Riku. He's been having too much fun on the Islands," Yuffie said, chuckling.

"In any case, we need to figure out who's doing this. In order to do this, we'll need to send protectors to the remaining Princesses. Yuffie, you're with me. We'll protect Aurora. Cloud, you and Tifa will protect Snow White. Aerith and Barret, you two will protect Cinderella. Cid, you'll stay here and relay communications, and keep an eye on the town," Leon said.

"I'm too damn old to fight, anyways," Cid grumbled.

"You're forgetting a Princess," Cloud said.

"I'll have to inform Sora of the situation. Sora and Riku will have to protect Kairi," Leon said.

"Problem: It's 7:50," Tifa said.

"And that means?" Leon asked.

"The punk's in school, and won't be out 'til three," Cid said.

"Damn it, this is more important than school," Barret snapped.

"Yeah, but we don't have any way to contact him until then," Aerith said.

Leon face-palmed. It was going to be a long day. That was certain.

_**KH-KH**_

Sora walked into Biology 2, expecting nothing but boredom. He got it. The teacher droned on about cells and their functions, and Sora took notes, almost mechanically. He absorbed what the teacher said in a daze, while other students acted like complete morons. It irritated him, but he appreciated the fact that it always left him about 30 minutes at the end of the block to think quietly enough.

It had been a boring life when we got home. He had been accepted with open arms and tears. His mother cried as she twirled about, hugging her son until he couldn't breathe. She still hugged him like he would up and leave at any time, even after several months. He was 16, and really, _really_ bored. But, hey, it was normal life, without a need to hack and slash through endless swarms of Heartless, Nobodies, and other monsters. What could compare to that? Seriously?

He went to class, did homework, went to little social events, talked with his friends, and did other normal things. And, of course, he dreamed. He was a hero, and a normal life just wasn't for him. Not anymore, when he had tasted adventure, and knew it was so sweet. It was impossible. Yet, he did it anyways. He treasured every moment with his mother, Riku, and Kairi.

Kairi.

There was one girl he had been thinking about a lot lately. Her hair, her face, her laughter, her lips, her eyes, her body, her voice... Every detail of her had been etched in Sora's mind. Then there was the effect she had on him. His body always went into what he thought was battle mode. He felt like he either wanted to run away as fast as possible or fight to the death. The panic, he thought it was, was always light enough that he could ignore it... mostly. It still messed up his speech a bit. Frankly, the effects she had on him, he'd heard of, when he was ocassionally forced to watch romance movies with his mom. He figured out the implications of it pretty quickly. It disturbed him to a certain degree.

He went through the next period quickly, bored through it, too. Eventually, it was lunch period. Finally.

_**KH-KH**_

Sora sat down at his table, with a food-laden tray. Kairi and Riku brought their lunches that day. Sora felt a twinge of envy at the thought of Riku getting time alone with Kairi, which he quickly dismissed. Riku had long ago stated that he didn't hold _that_ kind of affection for Kairi. Sora didn't say the same, and the Twilight Keyblader figured out what was going on.

"What's up, guys?" Sora asked.

"Talking about the blitzball game this Friday," Riku said.

"Bleh," Sora said, digging into his tray.

"Hey, I'll be out there, so you better be cheering me on," Riku said, pointing a fork at him.

"I'll be there, no worries. What are friends for? Kairi, you're coming, right?" Sora asked.

"Of course. What are friends for?" Kairi said, giggling quietly.

"Hey, mon, you two comin' to da big game, Friday?" Wakka asked, sitting down.

Sora and Kairi nodded.

"Cool. So, Riku, should we tell dem our big plan?"

Riku chuckled, "Nah."

Sora arched a brow, "What plan?"

"Blitzball formation," Riku said.

"I call it da Bahamut formation," Wakka said.

"Must be good," Kairi said.

"You kiddin' me? It's genius!" Wakka exclaimed.

Tidus chuckled as he sat down, "Talking about the Bahamut formation?"

Wakka nodded.

"You guys coming to the big game, Friday?" Tidus asked.

Sora and Kairi nodded again.

"It's gonna' be awesome. We'll cream Jecht's Jets, I'm tellin' you," Tidus said, cheerily.

Selphie walked by and stopped.

"Hey guys, wanna' come sit with us?" she asked.

Tidus and Wakka nodded, and then walked off with her.

"How are you holding up?" Riku asked.

"It's all so... boring, don't you think?" Sora said.

"I've heard this, man. A million times," RIku replied.

"I know, but I mean... I haven't needed the Keyblade in months. I have to summon it every now and then just to make sure I'm not crazy and that I didn't just dream it all up or something," Sora said, shaking his head.

"Well, I mean, it's not going to get better. You're going to have to try and plan years into the boring future," Riku said.

"Not hardly. I already know what I'm doing. I'm going to go into fighting tournaments, win big money, things like that," Sora said, grinning.

"Oh, like they'll let you use the Keyblade," Kairi snorted.

"Hey, I could fight without it," Sora said, sticking a tongue out.

"Dude, you only survived on Hollow Bastion without the Keyblade because of Beast," Riku reminded.

Sora kicked him.

"Whose fault was that?" Sora asked, a brow raised.

"Harsh, man, harsh," Riku replied.

_Yikes, that was kind of cold._

Sora ignored Roxas' comment and instead chose to finish off his main course. He started in on his side dish, as Riku snorted.

"Would you guys really go out on another adventure, if the opportunity came along?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah," Sora said.

Riku nodded.

Kairi sighed.

"Sorry, but, I mean, we're too used to adventure to want anything but that," Riku said.

Kairi nodded, sadly.

"Hey, don't worry. It's not likely that there'll even _be_ another adventure," Sora said, concealing a frown with a real-looking grin.

Kairi nodded, a little cheerier now.

"I just... ya' know, don't want you two going off on an adventure again. I was so worried... it was unbearable," Kairi said.

Sora and Riku nodded, sadly.

"It'll be fine, I promise," Sora said, holding his hand halfway on the table.

Kairi took it, and Sora felt everything was right with the world.

_**KH-KH**_

The rest of the day was normal enough that it doesn't require any form of description, and shall thus be skipped over. Sora walked home with the others, and they eventually split up, in which Sora entered his own home. His mother immediately gripped him in a death-vice-like hug. When he hugged back and they kissed, he told her about his day in about four sentences, he walked upstairs.

The first thing he noticed was that he had messages on his crystal, and yes, I said crystal. The easiest way to contact across worlds wasn't cell phones, it was crystals. He weaved the necessary magick, and it activated, playing a recording of Leon's voice. Gah, that was what he needed after a ridiculously humdrum few months.

_Sora, there's trouble again. Three Princesses of Heart were kidnapped last night, in an almost synchronized manner. Reports differ on their looks, confirming that it's apparently a group of people doing this. It's obvious that Kairi is in danger of being kidnapped as well. You and Riku need to protect her._

Sora grinned slightly.

_Finally, some adventure!_

_Why do you want action so bad, Sora?_

Sora shook his head in disbelief that Roxas didn't want this. A little action would keep him going for a while, surely. He tapped the crystal again, and weaved specific magicks to open a channel to two crystals at once. The faces of Kairi and Riku appeared in the air.

"Hey, guys. Leon told me that Princesses are being kidnapped. Kairi, you'll _probably_ be next, so I think you and Riku should come over here tonight, so that we can keep an eye on you," Sora said.

"That's a good idea," Riku said.

"Are you serious?" Kairi asked.

"Well, yeah, it's a good idea," Riku replied.

"No, no, I mean, why now? All of a sudden, Princesses getting kidnapped?" Kairi asked.

Sora shrugged.

"I'm just telling you guys what Leon told me. It's a new set of guys, so it's not the Organization, at least," he said.

Riku nodded, "It could be good, but then, it could be worse. Much worse."

Kairi sighed.

"I'll ask my mom, and if she says no, I'll sneak out," Kairi said.

"Same here," Riku said.

_**KH-KH**_

In the tower of the castle that housed Queen Aurora and King Philip, all were sleeping. Well, all but two.

"Come on, Squall, it's your turn. Move already," Yuffie urged.

"Leon. Be patient. Chess is all about patience. Shouldn't master ninjas know all about patience?" Leon asked.

He moved, finally, to Yuffie's glee. However, to her excitement, something better happened.

The kidnapper showed up. He was the figure in black, and he was obviously prepared for the fight. Leon and Yuffie snapped to attention, a weapon in hand faster than most people could blink.

"Who are you?" Leon demanded.

"I am Syn," the kidnapper, Syn, said.

He unclipped the cape, and let it fall. Leon rushed towards him, while Yuffie jumped upwards in his direction, tossing a series of ninja stars at him. Syn shot a Firaga spell at the ninja stars, then materialized a morning star from thin air. Leon swung his Gunblade in a vertical arc, but Syn blocked it.

"Leonhart, wielding Lionheart. Fitting enough, I suppose," Syn said.

Leon displayed no reaction to how much Syn knew, knowing it was only bait to get an opening. Instead, he leaped back and swung in a tornado fashion. A ninja star collided with the tip of his sword at precisely the right moment to send it flying towards Syn, who was unable to block it. Yuffie landed in front of Leon, leaped to the side, and formed a kunai composed of largely energy. She tossed it, and Syn, pulling out the first ninja star, was stabbed in the arm with the second. Syn howled with pain as Leon pointed the business end of the Gunblade at his throat.

"Tell me who you're working with or for, along with why," Leon demanded.

"I'm an Atlantean. I failed to protect my land as you did, but now I have a chance to save it. I desire only that and salvation. You'd know all about me already, if you'd done your homework, including my titles. Fallen. Spell Singer. _High Summoner_."

Leon blinked as suddenly a blast of faerie dust hit him in the face. He was knocked back, as his body experienced a series of tiny cuts from the... wind? Syn swung his morning star, and Leon was down for the count.

"Sylphs are considered a useless summons by most, but they are great distractions that usually go unnoticed until it's far too late," Syn elaborated to a very confused Yuffie.

Yuffie growled as she entered a series of acrobatics, shooting off ninja stars and Fira spells. Syn chuckled as he knocked them all aside with his gloved hands. Yuffie noticed that when the gloves impacted the spell, a glow erupted from them. A spell weaved into the gloves? How?

"I grow _bored _with this," Syn said, simply.

He pistoned out a fist, and fire magic erupted in such a way that Yuffie had never seen. It spread through the room and slammed her into the wall, igniting her slightly. She barely managed to put out the fire, before losing consciousness.

He creeped up the steps, to find Aurora sleeping in her room, still. With a quick spell singing, she was frozen in time, unable to resist him as he took her in his arms and disappeared, taking her with him in a flutter of black feathers.

_**KH-KH**_

Tifa walked back through the castle doors, into a room where Cloud was standing against a wall. Beyond the door behind him was Snow White and Prince Charming, sleeping peacefully. They intended for it to stay that way.

"The coast is clear. No one is around," Tifa said.

Cloud nodded, "Good."

"Cloud, how long has it been since Midgar burned?" Tifa asked.

"7 years."

"How long has it been since Zack died?"

"5 years."

"How long has it been since Sephiroth was defeated?"

"3 years."

"How long has it been since Kadaj came along?"

"A few months. Why all these questions, Tifa?" Cloud asked.

"Because I've got a really good question for you, Cloud. Why do you keep brooding, like you think that everything is so terrible? Smile, damn it, Yevon loves you!" Tifa said, desperately.

"I've still got things to deal with, Tifa."

"Cloud... let me help."

There was a long silence.

"...Smile, Yevon loves me?" Cloud asked, smirking, "Since when did you even talk about Yevon?"

Tifa smiled back. It was a good sign, she hoped.

"How sweet," another voice said.

Tifa and Cloud looked up, to see the burly figure who had taken Alice. They felt a prick in their neck, and Tifa almost immediately fainted. Cloud rushed at the figure, growling in desperation, as his vision turned hazy. The figure ducked under the sword swipe, then came up with a brutal uppercut. Cloud fell back, and hit the floor hard.

The kidnapper chuckled. It was too easy. He walked through the door, shot the pair with the same tranqs. They twitched, but didn't react otherwise, already asleep. He picked up Snow White, then activated his teleporter.

_**KH-KH**_

"I don't like this place a bit. Too damn cheery. Did you see that chick before she went to sleep? She was singing to the _animals_. Weirdest part? They sang back. This place is creepin me out," Barret growled.

"I think it's lovely," Aerith replied.

"You would, flower girl."

Aerith stuck out her tongue, smiling widely. Barret gave her the finger, grumbling lowly.

Darkness swooped into the room, and quickly formed into the shape of the scythe-wielding figure who had taken Belle. Aerith gasped.

"It can't be... Jet!?"

The figure, Jet, nodded once and took a step forward.

"You know this guy?" Barret asked, pointing his gun arm at Jet.

"He's a horror story of the Cetra," Aerith whispered, twirling her staff.

The pair heard the singing ring through the room, and the scythe emerged. Aerith gasped, but continued weaving magick. She pointed it at Jet, and a torrent of water gushed towards him. He swung his scythe and the water crashed about his frame, never touching him. She sent a spear of wind that he purposely let cut him. Barret shot a barrage of bullets at him, none of which even touched him, as he became a fog of Darkness, causing the bullets to go right through him. Barret stopped and Aerith charged up another spell.

Jet reformed, grinning ferally as he pointed at the pair. The blood from his cut dribbled down his arm, then it came to life. Strands of his blood oozed out, then twirled about his arm. It crawled and became claws, forming around his fingers. Barret made a disgusted noise and opened fire once more. Jet became Darkness, then shot for the pair. They leaped to the side, and Jet was forced to reform. He couldn't see in that form.

He looked about, then ducked under a jointed shot of wind spears and bullets. Two strands of blood reached out from the cut and grabbed the two heroes by the throat. The strands gripped tight enough to cut off air. They didn't let go, despite the struggles. The two blacked out, and the strands retracted, back into his arm. Jet sighed as the blood re-entered his body.

He became Darkness and seeped under the door, then swooped forward, meeting up with the bed, holding his prize. The Darkness absorbed Cinderella, then it disappeared in a whirl.

_**KH-KH**_

"You uhh… gonna clean up your room anytime soon?" Riku asked.

"Nah. I like it messy," Sora said.

Kairi giggled, and Sora blushed.

"Alright, the kidnapper will probably show up, soon, so let's get ready," Riku said.

Sora nodded, then lead the others to a secret part of his room, one that was actually a door. He opened it, and it lead out into the island. The trio walked, Sora as the leader, and he eventually lead them to the Secret Place.

"Why here?" Kairi asked.

"Because it's gonna' be easy to defend you when the dude shows up, because he'll have only to go through the cave to grab you," Sora said.

"Quite the tactician, eh, Sora?" Riku jibed.

"Leonidas helped me," Sora said, sheepishly.

"Who?" Kairi asked.

"Main character in 300. He led 300 Spartans against several thousand Persians. Eventually, he lost, but the Persians lost a lot more," Riku explained.

"Hollywood provides something useful, hm?" Kairi asked.

That's when the wolf bounded into the cavern. Riku and Sora whirled their Keyblades, which appeared in the flourishing motion, and pointed them at the creature. Firagas aimed for it... and hit a Reflectga spell. The Keybladers deflected their reflected spells, and then put up a block.

"Kairi, go for the back!" Sora shouted.

Kairi had conflictions about this. Riku had been training her, secretly, making sure Sora didn't know. Kairi and Riku both knew Sora would hate that Kairi was learning to fight. Riku knew Sora felt it was his duty to protect Kairi, and Kairi knew Sora didn't want her in any danger. In any case, Kairi didn't want to simply _abandon_ her friends, when she knew she might be help. Yet again, it was far more likely she'd be a hindrance.

"Kairi! Go!" Riku shouted.

Kairi turned and made a mad dash for the back of the cave. There, she sat huddled behind a rock, hating every second of not helping when she finally could do something.

In the meanwhile, the wolf had changed into something obviously half-human. It had metallic gauntlets that had large claws over its own forepaws. The werewolf swung at Sora, who parried the blow, leaving an open that Riku took advantage of. Several swipes caused the beast to stagger back, and then laugh as it changed into a fully human being. They noticed how he barely fit in the cave, at 8 feet tall, with a lean muscled body. The figure glanced at them with light-blue eyes, the moon reflecting off his pale body and the silvery white armor he wore.

"Keybladers, you are worthy enough opponents, but I'm going to have to ask you to step aside," the figure said.

"Why the hell should we?" Riku spat.

The figure tutted, then held up a hand. An eruption of fire was channeled through the cavern system, and Sora and Riku were sent flying through the cave, as if from a cannon. They landed in the middle of the open area, the grotto, where Xehanort's Heartless had first appeared to Sora. The figure walked into the memory-laden grotto, and he looked around, chuckling.

"What _are _you?" Riku demanded.

"A remnant of a lost world."

With that, he shifted into a bull, and then charged at the Riku, who leaped to the side. The transforming kidnapper became a hawk, then made a u-turn to avoid the wall, then transformed back into a human dropping down right behind Riku. He swung his fist, which connected with Riku's head, sending the boy's head into the cavern wall. Riku crumpled, bleeding from the side of his head.

Sora rushed at him, but he merely chuckled, formed a blade of his own, and clashed with Sora. They clanged their blades against one another, swinging left and right, up and down, and every other way possible. Sora focused all of his rage on keeping the kidnapper at bay. Why wasn't he told about this man? Was he not one who had appeared before?

Kairi heard the sounds of the blades clashing and she just had to look. She saw Sora and the man in a sword fight of sorts, and she looked over to Riku. She gasped and, out of pure instinct, rushed out from behind her heading place, towards him. The figure chuckled.

"And there's the prize."

His blade disappeared and, in a whirl of magick, a small fire demon, akin to a mini-Ifrit, leaped out of the air and attacked Sora, who deflected the initial blow, but was caught by a blast of flame. The figure then warped in front of the rushing Princess and grabbed her.

"Come, come, Princess, it's time to serve a much better purpose."

The mini-Ifrit dispersed, and Sora looked up, breathing deep, and cursed. Riku was out cold with a serious head injury, and he had failed his missions. The one imposed on him by Leon to ensure the Princess of Heart was kept safe, and the other one, imposed by himself upon himself, to protect his friends. He growled with frustration as he cast a Curaga spell on Riku, then hefted his friend over his shoulder and walked out of the cave, grunting with each strained step.

_Well, Sora, you finally got your action. But, was it worth it?_

_Not a good time._

_Right, sorry._

His conversation with his Nobody did little to help his matters, obviously enough. It even reopened up the wound and poured salt into it. He had been wishing for action, because he was desperate for excitement. Now, though, he had rediscovered the downside to action. The worry for his friends and fighting for his life. Action was great when he was having enough trouble to keep excited, but not when it was as overwhelming as that had been.

_**KH-KH**_

Sora was faced with his thoughts as he brought Riku into the local hospital. He left him there as soon as a nurse had gotten him a room. It was 1:30 at that time. Sora walked back home, then up to his room. Sleep came about an hour later, and it was so rough that he felt like those few hours had only been a few minutes. When he asked if he could skip, his mother looked at him and agreed without a word. It wasn't until he looked at the mirror that he realized how badly beaten up he still was. Later on in the morning, his mother asked what happened. He explained it, quickly, but with nothing left out. She shook her head, sadly.

Sora was faced with another side of the action. The worry others held for _him_.

Sora slept through most of the day, trying to catch up on the previous night. Riku came to his house at noon. They chatted, awkwardly, for a few moments.

"Man, I am so sorry. I mean, I just slipped up and then I felt his fist, and I was gone, man. I should've been able to do better. I know I could've," Riku said.

"Riku, don't worry about it. Really, man, when was the last time you trained? When was the last time either one of us trained? I understand. I wasn't able to fight him, either," Sora pointed out.

"Wait. You couldn't fight him... Does that mean...?"

Sora closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"No... Not again."

Sora opened his eyes. He saw Riku holding his head in his hands.

"Man, we've got to go after her."

Sora nodded.

"When?" he asked.

"In an hour. I've got to check out the gummi... make sure it still works," Riku said.

Sora nodded.

"I'll talk to my parents. You talk to your mom. Let 'em know... We never said goodbye that first time," Riku said.

Sora nodded again, and he felt his throat tighten. He felt a pressure behind his eyes. Riku looked at him with shimmering eyes for a moment.

"Alright, man... I'll see you in a bit," Riku said.

He left Sora's bedroom, and the teenage boy, burdened with the Keyblade, the loss of the girl he had tried desperately to protect, and a whirl of emotions he could barely understand, let the dam fall. The tears spilled and the quiet sobs issued forth.

_Get it together, Sora!_

Sora shook his head, and then wiped off his face. He stood up and took deep, lasting breaths. Sora then headed out for the living room, where his mother was watching a bit of television. She said she needed a break for work, which was why she had taken the vacation day, but Sora knew the real reason, now that he had realized what he was going to do.

"Mom... I need to tell you something... Something important," Sora said.

She turned off the TV and looked at him.

"What is it, Sora?"

"I'll be going away again, soon."

"Sora..."

"I have to, mom... Kairi was taken... I couldn't stop that guy from taking her, and now I have to make up for my mistake."

"You shouldn't have to... There are others... You told me about Cloud and Leon... Couldn't they?"

"_I_ have to, mom... For Kairi..."

She nodded, her eyes glistening. She had known it since Sora told her about the events that had transpired the previous night. That didn't stop the tears from flowing, anyways. She hugged her son in a tight embrace, and he hugged her back.

"Come back to me, Sora... please... I can't stand the thought of losing my boy..."

"I promise, mom, I'll come back home... I promise you..."

He broke the embrace after several minutes, then he changed into his old battle gear, the gift from the Fairy Godmothers. Strength from it was already flowing into his body. He walked to the door, opened it, and looked back at his smiling, yet crying, mother.

"I promised you, mom... I love you."

"I love you, too, Sora."

Sora smiled at his mother one more time before walking out the door.

_**KH-KH**_

Riku stood in the street, waiting for Sora in the clothing he had worn during their latest adventure. They approached, smiled, and Sora held out his hand.

"One more adventure?" Sora asked.

They clasped hands.

"One more adventure."


	2. Second Encounter

_**Second Encounter**_

_**This was a one-shot request, and it was too fun to resist. It gradually evolved into what I decided would be the second chapter of Unity. YAY RANDOMNESS.**_

_**So, I'm SERIOUSLY sorry about how long this took.**_

_**Considering my insane amount of projects, I'm now asking for a co-author on this story.  
**_

_**KH-KH**_

During the trip there, Riku got in contact with Leon, who quickly figured out all that was going on. A few moments into the discussion, Leon received word from the King that he was to meet them all in Twilight Town.

With a few tweaks to the console, they were quickly on their way.

_**KH-KH**_

When they reached Twilight Town, they found the usual gang of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Sora caught up on a few things, while Riku listened benignly.

"Kairi...?" Olette asked, "Oh, yeah. You were trying to rescue her a few months ago. Did you ever find her?"

"Yeah. We kept her around for a little longer this time," Sora said with a sad smile.

The Twilight Town natives cringed.

"So, she's gone again?" Hayner asked.

Sora nodded.

"Sorry, man. Is there any way we can help?" Pence asked.

"Nah. We're here to meet with Mickey," Riku said, "So... don't worry yourself, man."

Silence reigned for a while, until Aerith walked in, carrying a tray of fruits. Yuffie followed her eagerly, waiting until the tray was set down, at which point she quickly snatched several of the snacks. Sora looked up to see Leon resting against the wall in his usual pose.

"So, Sora, ready for tomorrow? Mickey left a note. He'll meet us at the mall, apparently," Leon said.

"The mall?" Sora asked.

"It's a few miles away from here. Kinda rinky-dink, but it's okay," Hayner said with a shrug.

"It'll be good to see the King," Riku said.

"Can we come?" Olette asked.

"Sure," Yuffie said.

"Yuffie..."

"Squall..."

Leon rolled his eyes, not bothering to correct the ninja.

"Fine."

The kids all talked semi-excitedly for a while about the day to come, until Aerith finally shooed them all to bed.

_**KH-KH**_

"Alright, everyone, meet back here at around 11. We'll eat then," Leon said, "If you spot the King, ignore him. He'll talk to us when he's ready."

Everyone nodded and ran off, spreading out quickly.

_**KH-KH**_

Olette perused through the shiny knick-knacks in a store labeled "Locke's Treasures". The man behind the counter seemed nice enough. He wore a blue jacket and jeans with a blue headband. He had brown-ish hair, and tan skin. He flashed shiny teeth at Olette when she entered the store.

"Hello, miss. How can I help you?"

"I'm just looking."

The man nodded and she went back to looking. She saw a collection of knives, swords, shields, hats, and the rest of the usual adventurer's lot. It was relatively cheap stuff. It paled in comparison to the Legendary Weapons, in any case.

There were a few orbs, too, which she recognized as magicite.

"What kinds of magicite do you have?" Olette asked.

"Clever girl. Not many people recognize that. My magicite is for emergency purposes only. I have replica magicite, which I keep behind the counter. It just looks like magicite. It's not meant for battle use," Locke said.

"Why keep the real magicite out on the floor?" Olette asked.

"Anyone strong enough to take it from behind the shielding in place would be strong enough to beat me and take it, so why not?" Locke said with a shrug.

Olette stared for a moment, before she began perusing once more, searching for something in specific...

_**KH-KH**_

Riku and Sora searched through the game shop, eagerly pilfering through it all. They were very familiar with the commodities, and the influx of munny that flowed into their pockets as of late granted them many such things. It was glorious.

"Oh, Riku, check it! A Hartron!" Sora said, excited about the gaming system.

"You serious? I didn't know they got released yet," Riku said.

"Technically, they haven't," the man behind the counter said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Well... I'm a pirate of sorts. Respected well enough that no one cares when I pilfer here or there. I paid them well enough for that. Good business, you see," he said.

A dark-skinned girl with bunny ears and skimpy clothing walked in from the back door, approaching the man with a list. Sora and Riku stared for several moments, before they managed to put their eyes back in their head and turned, blushing, back towards the games.

_**KH-KH**_

Yuffie examined a shiny pair of show-off kunai, while Leon looked about the store, with vague interest. It was one of the newer additions, and he had been assigned to watch her as they hadn't been quite accustomed to Yuffie's innate... nature, so to speak.

For a while, he looked around as well, admiring a few of the swords. His heart stopped when he came by a new set of weapons. His finger traced along the edges of the shield-like weapon, a Blaster Edge. The wings... they were too familiar.

An employee came by.

"Would you like help selecting something, sir?" he asked.

"Where did you get that?" Leon demanded, abruptly, pointing at the angelic disc-esque weapon.

"A new arrival... she let us engineer the weapon for a share in the profits."

Leon shook his head.

"Strange... Did you already arrive...?" he muttered to himself.

"Would you like help, sir?" the employee asked, slightly nervous.

"No, sir. Thanks. I'll be on my way."

Leon was so distracted that he almost forgot to force Yuffie to give back everything she tried to steal.

Almost, as the fuming ninja grumbled, didn't cover it.

_**KH-KH**_

Aerith waited patiently at the food court, happily munching on a salad, when Cloud arrived. She smiled at him, as he began to methodically chew his burger. Gradually, the others streamed in. After about 15 minutes, everyone but Olette had sat down, or had dropped by before ordering something at one of the nearby fast food joints.

Time kept passing, until it has been 30 minutes after the designated "meet-up" time. Still no Olette.

"I'm getting worried," Hayner said, "If it had been Pence or me, this would be understandable. But Olette's never late..."

Leon set down his unfinished meal, "Alright, then. Sora, Riku, Aerith, Yuffie. Split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"What about us?" Hayner asked.

"Guard our food!" Yuffie called back, cheerily.

_**KH-KH**_

As it turns out, the concern was necessary, as 30 minutes ago, Olette was about to exit the door, when a strange man in a largely black suit that featured a pumpkin emblazoned on his chest entered the room.

"Can I help you?" Locke asked, instantly wary of the man.

_I am the Shadow on the Moon at night..._

_Filling your dreams to the brim with FRIGHT_

As the eerie melody from nowhere faded, Jet's hands held up a staff that displayed a blade on both ends.

Locke, his hand glowing, leaped over the counter. His hand came up and a blast of Firaga tore through the air. Jet swiped his weapon,_ Shadow on the Moon_, through the air, and the flames were swept away. Locke shot another burst, which was just as promptly torn away from the air. Jet twirled and spun Shadow on the Moon at Locke.

_This is Halloween, this is Halloween_

_Pumpkins scream in the dead of night_

The staff broke apart and became a series of needles, _Pumpkins Scream_, that stabbed into Locke, then ignited. Jet blitzed forward and kicked the ex-Treasure Hunter in the head, causing him to fly back. Jet pulled his hand back, and the needles flew into his body, seeming to actually merge into him. Locke slid to the floor. Passerby seemed to go by, without a second glance.

Cato entered the store, followed by Syn.

"Syn? The girl," Cato said.

Syn nodded and snapped his fingers. Several Sylphs appeared and grabbed Olette, holding her back. Cato then approached the magicite. He cautiously reached out a hand for it, and twinged when he felt the barrier.

"This is heavy-duty stuff... Probably gonna take about 20 minutes for even my strongest Brecher to take it out," Cato said.

"Then be quick about it. We must be in and out, swiftly. The Capitol said to mention out plans, not for a full-on fight," Syn warned.

Cato rolled his eyes, but nodded, grabbing his side-satchel and opening it. After a few moments of digging in it, he picked out a small circular piece of machinery, which he attached to the barrier that suddenly became visible. A few button presses, and the barrier began to crack.

"Now... to wait," Cato said.

Olette started to scream, until Jet placed his hand over her mouth.

"I thought your spell blocked sound," Cato said.

"It blocks us from sight, by putting up a false image. Yes, it does filter sound to a degree, but not screams."

"Will the Keybladers still find us?" Cato asked.

"I'll ensure they do," Syn said, "No worries."

_**KH-KH**_

It was Aerith who was first lead to the sieged store. A strange phantom erupted from the ground beneath her. It lashed out at her, narrowly missing her, then turned and bolted. She followed it with all haste, drawing on her Cetran agility to assist her through all the various leaps and side-steps she had to make in order to keep up with the phantom.

She arrived in front of the store, and the phantom disappeared. A few moments later, Leon and Yuffie appeared on the scene, following phantoms that did the same.

"What could be in...?" Aerith began to ask.

The illusion fell, to reveal the three figures inside, all of which were familiar to the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee.

"Jet!" Aerith shouted.

Jet looked at her with disinterest as Cato pulled off his device. The barrier flickered and died. Leon flung himself forward, and found that he rammed into a forcefield. Growling, he hacked and slashed at it with all his might. Yuffie and Aerith joined in the barrage a moment later. Immediately, people screamed and fled in opposite directions.

"Why are you doing this?" Aerith screamed, shooting fire at the barrier.

Sora and Riku arrived on the scene seconds later.

"STOP!" Syn shouted.

Surprised by the outburst, the heroes hesitated for a moment.

"We wish to let you know that we have the Princesses of Heart in our possesion. As soon as our experiments are done, they will be returned to you. None of the experiments should prove fatal. All we want is our home," Syn said.

"Atlantis is gone, Syn! It's not coming back!" Aerith snapped.

"You're nothing but a traitor to the cause, Aerith. You never knew Atlantis to begin with. You have never seen the paradise shared long ago. And you are a fool for going against it!" Syn railed.

"Shaddup. The Capitol doesn't want 'em knowing too much," Cato snapped.

"Who are you people and why do you want Kairi!?" Sora roared.

Everyone in the room was surprised when Jet stepped forward and did something he hadn't done in a long time.

"We are reflections, bright and clear. We are the moon, dangerous and near. We are MIRROR, as you hear."

With the declaration of "MIRROR", Jet sent out a tendril of darkness that engulfed all of the freed magicite. Cato snapped his Brecher shut and placed it in his side satchel. Syn pulled his hands back, and the summons he had dispersed. Jet became Darkness that engulfed Syn and swarmed over to Cato, who pressed a button. In a flash, all of the so-called "Mirror" were gone.

Olette gasped, now free; she stumbled over to Locke. The Treasure Hunter was still breathing... Good. Okay...

The heroes stepped into the shop, and Aerith started to cast a heal spell, when a green light and bells appeared over his head.

"I figured it was good to go ahead and cast it. Locke's not lookin' too good," Mickey said.

"Your Majesty!" Sora shouted.

"Mickey!" Riku called out.

"Hiya, guys," Mickey called back, leaning on his Keyblade, "What's shakin'?"

"Princesses are stolen, new villains around," Leon said.

"The usual," Yuffie added.

"Yeah... about the villains," Mickey said.

"Mirror?" Leon asked.

"Yeah..."

"No, Mickey. Allow me," Aerith said.

"Yeah... they said you were a traitor to the cause. What'd they mean?" Sora asked.

"Cetra is an alternate name for what I am. The older name fell out of use centuries ago. After Atlantica came to be, most of us called ourselves Cetra, to avoid confusion with the Merpeople."

"They said they wanted-"

"Their home. Atlantis. My home. Well... not really. I never knew Atlantis," Aerith said.

"This is a wonderful discussion and all, but we might want to leave before the police show up," Olette said, "Besides, we need to find Hayner and Pence."

"Alright, guys, let's go," Leon said.

_**KH-KH**_

Now at Olette's house, where the girl was being bandaged, the friends spoke. Hayner and Pence were quickly filled in on the details.

"It's definitely not those guys from last time. Organization whoever," Hayner said.

"Yeah. Not them. Why would they steal the Princesses, though? What could they possibly be of use in their search of Atlantis?" Riku asked.

"Yeah. They can open Kingdom Hearts, but I didn't think they served any other purpose," Sora said.

"Those seven beings carry more Light than the Keyblade. That much power can be put to a lot of use," Leon said.

"Woah...," Sora muttered, looking at his palm.

The Keyblade appeared, in an absentminded reaction to his ponderings. He felt the Light inside of it, pouring through his body, filling him up with something like adrenaline. He instantly became aware of his surroundings, and felt the instinctual fight or flight thought process creep into his mind.

"Put it away. The Heartless have reduced in numbers; they haven't been eradicated," Leon said.

Nodding, Sora let his palm relax. The Keyblade dispersed, remerging with Sora's form.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find clues at Radiant Garden," Mickey said.

"What makes you say that?" Riku asked.

"I passed through there a day or two ago. Everyone was complaining about malfunctioning technology. I'll bet those Atlanteans are the cause of it," Mickey replied.

"Well, the course is clear: Radiant Garden," Sora said.

_**KH-KH**_

A familiar being, the humongously tall, pale male, sat on a golden throne. His black hair fell across his shoulders, providing a sharp contrast to his skin. The Atlanteans appeared in the same room a few moments later. His light-blue eyes peered out at the new arrivals.

"Capitol, we have returned with the Materia," Cato said.

Jet waved a hand, and all of the Materia appeared in the air, surrounded by a faint black aura.

"The world shall be saved soon enough, Capitol Lamuria" Syn said.

"Thank you, my friends. You have done well," Lamuria said.

The Atlanteans all bowed.

"Jet, I have another job for you. Our Light is here, but our Dark Source will be incomplete, even with the data. The construct will require his essence, along with the data. Go to Radiant Garden and the World That Never Was. Sniff out the Source and collect it."

Jet gave a quick nod, then disappeared.

"Cato, Syn, for now, relax. Tell me of your adventures."

"Yes sire," Syn said.

And so the friends reveled in the tales to be shared. Their happiness felt almost foreign to them, but reassuring.

Soon, they'd be going home.

**End of Chapter Two**


End file.
